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The Master’s Philosophy of the Humanities and Social Sciences is a combined programme with either a Master’s in the humanities or a Master’s in the social sciences. Therefore, you are required to apply to and receive a (conditional) offer for two Master’s programmes separately for the same academic year: the Master’s Philosophy of the Humanities and Social Sciences and a second Master's of your choice in the humanities or social sciences. The application deadline for each Master’s could be different. Please make sure to check the deadlines of both Master’s programmes separately and apply in time.

Application deadlines

Please check the deadlines below very carefully, because they are strict. Missing one of the deadlines means that your application cannot be processed. 

  • I have a Dutch nationality

    Register in Studielink (see step 3 of the application process)
    8 May 2025, 23:59 CET

    Submit complete application (see step 5)
    15 May 2025, 23:59 CET

  • I have an EU/EEA-nationality

    If you wish to apply for housing

    Register in Studielink (see step 3 of the application process)
    23 February 2025, 23:59 CET

    Submit complete application (see step 5)
    1 March 2025, 23:59 CET
     

    If you do NOT wish to apply for housing

    Register in Studielink (see step 3 of the application process)
    8 May 2025, 23:59 CET

    Submit complete application (see step 5)
    15 May 2025, 23:59 CET

  • I have a non-EU/EEA nationality

    Register in Studielink (see step 3 of the application process)
    23 February 2025, 23:59 CET

    Submit complete application (see step 5)
    1 March 2025, 23:59 CET

    If you are interested in a scholarship, you need to apply for both the Master's programme and the scholarship before 15 January, and register in Studielink by 8 January. Learn more at:

Application process

Please make sure to follow the steps of the application process carefully to ensure that your application can be processed.

  • 1. Check entry requirements: prior education

    You are eligible to apply for admission if you hold an academic Bachelor's degree from an accredited research university in:

    • Philosophy
    • A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited research university taken in the field of the social sciences or the humanities, which includes a (relevant) minor in Philosophy worth 30 ECTS and a Philosophy of Science module.

    Additionally, applicants need to show that they are admissible to another Master's programme in the field of either the Humanities or the Social Sciences, depending on their choice of specialisation. 

    If you obtained your degree outside the Netherlands, the minimum level of your diploma should be at least equivalent to or comparable to three years of a Dutch research-oriented university. The assessment of whether your degree is considered equivalent will be completed by professional diploma evaluators according to the guidelines set forth by Nuffic, the independent organisation for internationalisation in education in the Netherlands. More information on this assessment can be found on the Graduate School of Humanities website.

    Pre-Master's programme

    If you do not meet the entry requirements above, you you might be eligible to eliminate your deficiencies by completing the pre-Master’s programme in Philosophy of the Humanities and Social Sciences first. Please note that this pre-Master's programme is not intended for students with a degree from a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (HBO). The Admissions Board will determine if your academic background is sufficient for admission to the (pre-)Master’s programme. Admission to the (pre-)Master’s programme is not guaranteed.

  • 2. Check entry requirements: language proficiency

    New Master's students should be able to speak, read, write and understand English at an advanced academic level. Please check carefully on the page below whether:

    • you already meet the English language requirements based on your prior education; or
    • you need to arrange to take an official English language test. If you have serious reasons to believe you should be exempted from taking an official English language test, you will need to file a strongly motivated, official exemption request at the Graduate School of Humanities’ Examinations Board. Please note that there is a strict deadline in place for such a request, which is one month prior to the Master's application deadline.
  • 3. Register in Studielink
  • 4. Pay the application fee (international prior education only)

    All students applying for a Master’s degree programme with an international bachelor’s diploma are required to pay a non-refundable €100 application fee*. You can do so via SIS. 

    Only after you have paid this fee, you can access the MyInfo portal and submit your application. It can take up to 24 hours for your fee payment to be processed by SIS. Because of this, make sure to pay your application fee at least 24 hours before the application deadline of your programme**.

    You do not have to pay the application fee:

    • If you have or will obtain a bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university or university of applied sciences (HBO).
    • If you have already applied and have paid the application fee for another master’s programme at the UvA for the academic year 2025-2026.

    Please note that the application fee is non-refundable. You are not entitled to a refund even if you do not submit your application form, if you submit an application form after the deadline (which will not be taken into consideration) or if you submit an incomplete application.

    **You can pay your €100 application fee by credit card (Mastercard, Visacard), GooglePay, ApplePay, Bancontact or iDEAL.

  • 5. Submit your UvA application form

    After enrolling in Studielink, you will automatically receive an email with a link to your MyInfo UvA application form. To log in to MyInfo you need your UvAnetID. Please fill out the application form, upload the required documents and submit your MyInfo application form before the application deadline.

    Application documents

    Make sure you are well prepared before you start your application, and you have all necessary documents ready. You are asked to upload the following documents:

    • curriculum vitae;
    • proof of language proficiency (if required, see language requirements);
    • transcript of records, up-to-date and issued by your home institution (if you are already a student at the UvA, a screenshot from SIS is sufficient);
    • diploma (if already obtained)* or list of courses yet to complete;
    • translation of your diploma and transcript of records (if they are not in English, Dutch, German or French);
    • programme specific documents (see below).

    *Please note: If you have not yet obtained your diploma but are in possession of all other application documents, you may proceed with your application - as long as you obtain your Bachelor's degree before 1 September. If you have a non-Dutch prior education, please bear in mind that you must submit your certified documents before 1 August.

    Programme-specific document

    Applicants need to show that they are admissible to another Master's programme in the field of either the Humanities or the Social Sciences, depending on their choice of specialisation. Please upload your proof of (conditional) admission to another Master's programme in MyInfo. If you do not yet have proof of (conditional) admission, you can upload proof of having submitted your other application instead. If you are then conditionally admitted to the Master’s in Philosophy of the Humanities and Social Sciences, you need to submit proof that you have gained admission to the second Master’s programme before the stipulated deadline in your conditional offer letter.

    This programme does not require any other documents, such as a motivation letter. Only the above-mentioned documents are taken into consideration by the Admissions Board.

After submitting your application

Once we have received your complete application, it will be evaluated by our Admissions Board. This programme offers rolling admissions, meaning you will receive an admission decision within 10 to 12 weeks. It is therefore advisable to complete your application well before the deadline.

If you are admitted to the programme, you will receive a letter of conditional acceptance. In order to proceed with your enrolment, you must accept this offer at your earliest convenience. Read more about the steps you need to take after (conditional) acceptance on the website of the Graduate School of Humanities:

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Can I apply for more than one Master's programme?

    Yes, you can apply for up to a maximum of four Master’s programmes. Some Master’s programmes offer different tracks. You indicate in Studielink which track you want to follow, and for this you submit an application file via MyInfo. It is possible to submit a second preference for a track within the same master via the contact form (option 'My online application' and then 'Adding a second track choice'). Please note that we will not process the track of your second choice if you are (conditionally) admitted to the track of your first choice.

    Due to the selection procedure, it is not possible to enter a selective track as your second choice. If you are interested in a selective track, then this is the track you should register for in Studielink. You can then submit a second, non-selective track via the contact form above.

  • Can I apply before having completed my Bachelor's?

    Many applicants to Master's programmes have not finished their previous education when they apply. If this applies to you, then you can upload a transcript of records with the courses and grades obtained so far. Make sure to also include a list of courses from your Bachelor's that you still need to complete. This applies to the scholarship applications as well. 

  • How does financial assistance for students work if I do a two-year Master's programme?

    If you do the two-year Philosophy of the Humanities and the Social Sciences programme, you are entitled to a fifth year of financial assistance for students, provided you meet the general conditions for receiving financial assistance for students and you have done a three-year Bachelor’s degree.

    For more information, please see the Education Executive Agency (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, DUO) website and the tab ‘Een master gaan doen’ (information in Dutch only):